Getty Dak Prescott
Unlikely as it might seem, the Dallas Cowboys are working to extend Dak Prescott prior to kickoff Sunday.
In an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Friday, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones confirmed the team and its franchise quarterback are engaged in ongoing discussions, with the hope of striking an agreement before Dallas’ Week 1 game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium.
Jones also reaffirmed that negotiations with star wide receiver Amari Cooper are operating at a much slower pace.
“In general, I would say yes on Dak. I would say very limited on Amari [Cooper] for a range of reasons that will eventually get worked out, and we can proceed with him as well,” Jones said, per ProFootballTalk.com. “I’d say the dialogue has been good, and we’re still holding out hope we can figure out how to come up with a deal by the game on Sunday.”
Ironically, it was Mike Florio of PFT who first reported, on Sept. 2, the “emerging sense in league circles” that Prescott could have a new contract in place this week.
And it was Prescott himself who revealed Thursday that “obviously I want to see it done” but isn’t willing to take extreme measures — like hiding out in Mexico — to secure his desired riches.
“To put a time frame on it, I think I’ve said this before, I’m not going to do that,” he said, via ESPN.com. “At this point my focus is all on the Giants and the Giants defense and what this team needs to do to win the game. And next week it will roll to the next opponent. I don’t want to blur my mind or distract myself any with thinking about those talks or thinking about what’s going on when I’ve got enough on my plate to handle. So I’m just focused on the Giants and I’ve got people to take care of [the contract].”
Speaking Thursday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t shoot down the potential for a quick-forming Prescott pact, saying with a smile, “We’ve still got three or four days here.” Jones also confirmed, perhaps fairly redundantly, that the 26-year-old is a top priority for the organization.
“I just can’t imagine Dak doesn’t know what we think of him,” he said, via the team’s official website. “We’re trying to put the best team around him, we want him to win Super Bowls, he’s going to be the quarterback around here for many, many years to come.”
Follow the Heavy on Cowboys Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Baseline for Prescott’s Extension
Dallas is likely cursing Los Angeles for recently handing QB Jared Goff a four-year, $134 million contract that includes a record-setting $110 million in guaranteed money. Cursing them, because Prescott’s agent, Todd France, can now turn around and demand equal pay to Goff — at a minimum.
Previous reports indicated that Prescott is seeking $40 million annually on his next deal, which would be an NFL record, dwarfing the $35 million that Seattle’s Russell Wilson is due for 2019. The Cowboys may balk at setting a new mark after appeasing running back Ezekiel Elliott in a similar fashion.
Assuming no movement, Prescott, a 2016 fourth-round pick, will take the field Sunday making just $2.02 million in base salary for his walk year. This may be the one instance where artificial deadlines don’t spur action, as Stephen Jones revealed “we’re open for business” during the season.
“I know sometimes the players don’t care to do that,” Jones said about negotiating midseason, via PFT. “But we can obviously juggle that and do that. We would be fine with doing that. It’s really up to the player and their representatives to determine what their deadlines are and their timelines. It doesn’t seem to bother us, and I don’t know that we’ve given those type of deadlines or timelines.”
Prescott Predicted to ‘Break the Bank’
Bleacher Report released a list Friday of projected NFL stars who are likely to cash in after Elliott and Goff received their staggering paydays. Prescott headlines the list, which also features Falcons receiver Julio Jones, who’s thisclose to securing a lucrative contract extension, impacting Dallas’ talks with Cooper.
“Is Prescott reliant on talent around him? Maybe. Can the Cowboys find a better option? One look around the league says no, so he’s likely to become the next quarterback to break the bank,” BR columnist
READ NEXT: New Video Shows Cowboys Starter in Massive Bar Brawl [WATCH]
Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL